Pivoted lever cap lifter with container-engaging means



July 2, 1957 l J, H. BLYTHE 2,797,597

PIVOTED LEVER CAP LIFTER WITH CONTAINER-ENGAGING MEANS Filed March 23, 1956 6, 9 INVETOR. f 25 /3 JMfJ/ 5L )f77-l5 593g 4 5357v 5 BY ite A25,797,597' Patented July 2, 1957 PIVOTED LEVER CAP LIFTER WITH CNTAINER-ENGAGWG MEANS .lames H. Blythe, Denver, Colo.

Application March 23, 1956, Seriai No. 573,510

6 Claims.V (Cl. lll-3.36)

This invention relates to a cap remover, and is more particularly designed for removing the so-called compression type caps from glasses and jars such as usually used for containing foods and ingredients of foods.

There are many devices intended to be used for prying compression type caps from containers, many of which are not satisfactory due to the fact that it is diflicult to hold the glass or jar with one hand while the cap remover is being' actuated with the other hand. The extreme pressure required for prying the cap from place makes it exceedingly difficult to hold the smooth glass container during the prying operation.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a cap remover which will act to hold the container in the proper position while simultaneously exerting a prying action on the cap so that very little or no effort will be required to hold the container while removing the cap, and so that all danger of damage due to slippage of the container will be eliminated.

Another objection to many conventional cap removers is that they will so distort and bend the cap during the removing operation that the cap cannot be replaced for preserving the remaining material in the container.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cap remover which will not bend or distort the cap, so that it may be replaced upon the container to seal the latter when desired.

A further object of 'the invention is to provide a cap remover of the described type which will be adjustable to accommodate various types and various sizes of containers.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. l illustrates the improved cap remover in place upon a conventional container of the compression cap type;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the appearance of the improved cap remover at the completion of the cap removing action;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the improved cap remover;

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged front View thereof;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section looking upwardly on the line 5--5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section, taken on the line 6-6, Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, detail, perspective View illustrating the appearance of the forward extremity of a lever plate employed in the improved cap remover;

Fig. 8 is a similar detail perspective view of a tilting plate employed in the invention, and

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of amounting clip employed in the invention.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a conventional glass container of the type usually used for marketing jellies and the like is illustrated at 1t), with its cap-securing bead at 11. The container illustrated is provided with one of Ithe usual compression caps 12 of the type designed to be pressed over the securing bead 11 to be retained in place thereon by means of an internal sealing gasket. The present invention is designed to support the container 10 and remove the cap 12 from the bead 11 without distorting or damaging the cap.

The improved cap remover employes a flat, inverted L-shaped, frame member 13 adapted when in use to extend diametrically across the cap 12. VThe frame member 13 is provided with a downwardly extending short leg 14 at its rear extremity and with a downwardly extending long leg 15 at its forward extremity. A rod guide strap 16 is secured against the opposite sides of the lower extremity of the long leg 1S in any desired manner, such as by means of suitable rivets 17. The strap 16 surrounds and horizontally supports an adjustable rod 18. The rod 18 is provided with a knurled head 19 at its forward extremity and is formed with flaring container-engaging arms 20 at its rear extremity adapted when in use to engage the side of the container 10.

The rod 18 is provided with a radially-extending locking pin 21 which can be brought into engagement with any desired one of a plurality of locking notches 22 formed in the strap 16 to regulate the amount of rearward projection of the rod 18 from the strap 16. The pin 21 is retained in any selected notch 22 by means of a click spring 23 which is secured to the long leg 15 by means of suitable rivets 24 so as to engage a latching notch 25 in the rod 18, as shown in Fig. 6.

A mounting clip 26 is tiltably mounted upon a hinge pin 27 extending through the short leg 14 of the frame member 13. The mounting clip 26 partially surrounds the lower extremity of the leg 14 and is provided with attachment flaps which are secured to an elongated lever plate 28 by means of suitable rivets 29. A stop 30-is formed on the clip 26 and positioned to engage the short leg k14 when lthe lever plate 28 is in the horizontal position.

to move the forward extremity ofthe plate 28 away from the frame member 13 lby means of a spring wire 31 which is wound about the pin 27, and the extremities of which are compressed between the frame member 13 tand the lever plate 28. The forward extremity of the lever plate 28 is narrowed in width .and turned downwardly to form a hook portion 32 terminating at its lower extremity in a cap-engaging hook 33 which in use is adapted to be inserted beneath the cap 12.

The hook portion 32 is formed with outwardly projecting ears 34 for retaining a tilting plate 35 in place. The tilting plate 35 is illustrated in detail in Fig. 8 and is formed with two forwardly and downwardly extending furcations 36 which, when the device is assembled,V extend on each side of the hook portion 32 above the ears 34 thereon. When the furcations 36 are in place `over the ears 34, the tilting plate 35 is constantly urged against the bottom of the lever plate 28 by means of a relatively thin, `flat leaf spring 38 which is lixedly secured.

to the bottom of the lever plate 28 by means of suitable rivets 39.

The extremities of the furcations 36 are formed into tubular 'bearing loops 37.. A link pin 40 extends through the bearing loops 37 of the tilting pla-te35 [and acts to secure two connecting links 41 thereto. 'Each ofthe The lever plate 28 is constantly urged in a direction 3 links 41 is secured by means of an independent rivet 42 to the forward extremity of one side of a looped handle member 43 which is pivoted on the frame member 13 intermediate the legs 14 and 15 upon a suitable pivot rivet 44. i

The handle member 43 consists of a single long, at bar bent back upon itself to form a looped rear hand rest and two parallel forward extremities, one of which extends on each side of the frame member 13. The inner extremities of the independent ri .'ets 42 are countersunk, as shown in broken lines on the drawing, so as to freely pass on each side of the frame member 13.

Let us assume that it is desired to remove the cap 12 from a small, tapered, Idrinking-glasstype of container, such as illustrated at `10. The rod 18 is set with its pin 21 in the rearmost notch 22 so -that the container-engaging arms 20 will engage the side of the container 10. The hook 33 is then positioned Ibeneath the edge of the cap 12, as shown in Fig. 1. p

Now let us assume that the handle member 43 and the rearwardly extending portion of the lever plate 28 are gripped in the palm of the hand and contracted toward each other. The initial pressure `causes the links 41 to pull the furcations 36 of the tilting plate 35 upwardly so as to pry the rear extremity of the tilting plate 35 downwardly against the resistance of the spring 3S and against the top of the cap 12 adjacent the hook 33 so that the hook is firmly locked beneath the edge of the cap 12. yFurther contraction of the hand forces the handle member 43 toward the lever plate 28, causing the links 41 to pry the tilting plate 35 against the cap 12, using the forward extremity of the Ylever plate 28 as a fulcrum. The reaction of the tilting plate 35 against the lever plate 28 tilts the forward extremity of the lever plate upwardly, with the forward edge of the container used as a fulcrum, to pry the cap from the retaining bead 11, as shown in Fig. 2.

Such caps are usually indented over their mid-portions, as shown in broken line in Fig. 2, and it is against this indented portion that the tilting plate 35 presses during the cap-removing operation, so as to prevent distortion or bending of the cap during removal.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that it is not necessary to even hold `the container with one hand While the cap is being removed `with the other hand, as there is no tendency to tilt the container forwardly, and the container is prevented from tilting rearwardly under the pressure of the lever plate 28 `by the bracing etect provided by the rod 18.

For straight-sided containers, the pin 21 would be removed to the middle notch 22, and 4for larger flaring containers the pin 21 would be moved to the outer notch 22, so -as to always maintain the axis of the container vertical. The lever plate 28 is sufciently long to extend over and project rearwardly from caps of the largest expected diameter. Therefore, it can be seen 'that the improved cap remover can lbe used on caps of any size and containers of any of the standard shapes.

While a specific form` of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to `be'understood that the same may be varied, within the scope `of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Let-ters Patent is:

l. A cap remover for removing a cap `from a container comprising:` an inverted-L-shaped frame member having one leg adapted to extend diametrically of the cap; a long second leg extending downwardly from the forward extremity of said oneleg and alongside the container; container-contacting means mounted on said long leg and adapted to contact the side of said container; an elongated lever plate pivotally mounted on said one leg and adapted to lie on said cap, the rear extremity of said lever plate extending rearwardly beyond said cap; Ihook means on the forward extremity of said lever plate adapted to hook beneath the edge of said cap; and means for tilting said lever plate about its pivotal axis to cause said hook means to pry said cap from said container.

2. A oap remover as described in claim l in which the means for tilting comprises: a handle member pivotally mounted, intermediate its extremities, on said frame member over the forward extremity of said lever plate; and connecting means connecting the forward extremity of said handle member with the forward extremity of said silver plate so that when the rear extremity of said handle member is urged downwardly, said lever plate will be tilted to tilt said cap.

3. A device for removing a cap from a container comprising: an elongated lever plate adapted when in use to extend diametrically of and project rearwardly from said cap; a downwardly extending hook member formed on the forward extremity of said lever plate and adapted to engage beneath said cap; a frame member; a downwardly extending short leg formed on the rear extremity of said frame member; pivot means pivoting said lever plate, intermediate its extremities, to said short leg; a long leg extending downwardly from the forward extremity of said frame member and adapted to extend alongside the container; means on said long leg for contacting said container; a handle member pivotally mounted, intermediate its extremities, on said frame member over said Ilever plate; and means connecting the forward extremity of said handle member to the forward extremity of said lever plate so that when the rear extremity of said handle member is depressed, said cap will be pried upwardly.

4. A -device for removing a cap from a container as described in claim 3, said connecting means including a tilting plate and connecting links, said tilting plate being positioned below said lever plate adjacent the forward extremity of the latter, said plate projecting forwardly from said lever plate; and connecting links connecting the forward extremity of said tilting plate to the :forward extremity of said handle member so that when the for ward extremity of said handle member moves upwardly, it will tilt the rear extremity of said tilting plate downwardly against said cap to clamp said hook member thereto.

5. A device yfor removing a cap from a container' as described in claim 4 having a rst spring means urging said lever plate away from said frame member; and a second spring means urging said tilting plate against said lever plate.

6. A device for removing a cap from a container comprising: an elongated lever plate adapted when in use to extend diametrically of and project rearwardly from said cap; a downwardly extending hook member formed on the forward extremity of said lever plate and adapted to engage beneath Said cap; a vframe member; a downwardly extending short leg formed on the rear extremity of said vframe member; pivot means pivoting said lever plate, intermediate its extremities, to said short leg; a long leg extending downwardly from the forward extremity oi said frame member and adapted to extend alongside the container; an adjustable means mounted on said long leg and adapted to contact said container; means for varying the amount of projection of said adjustable means toward said container; a handle member pivotally mounted, intermediate its extremities, on said frame mem 'ber over said lever plate; and means connecting the forward extremity of said handle member to the forward extremity of said lever plate so that when the rear extremity of said handle member is depressed, said cap will be pried upwardly.

References` Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,728,418 Litcheld Sept. 17, 1929 

